Swing



(No Model.)

S. I. ALSTON.

SWING.

N0. 529,232. Patented Nov. v13, 1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL I. ALSTON, OF GALVESTON, TEXAS.

SWING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 529,232, dated November 13, 1894.

Application filed January 4. 1894. Serial No. 495,605- (No model-l To a/ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL I. ALsToN, of

i Galveston, in the county of Galveston and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Improved Swing, of which the following is a full, clear. and exact description.

My invention is an improvement in swings whose seats or seat-supports are suspended from a pivoted rocker.

The invention consists in the construction nl arrangement of parts as hereinafter speci- Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar iigures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views shown.

Figure 1 is a front view of the device in preferred form. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sec` tional View, on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the supporting frame preferably employed to sustain the working parts of the device. Fig. 4 is an enlarged, partly sectional side View of novel details 0f construction hereinafter more fully described; and Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of part of the supporting frame, on the lines 5-5 in Figs. 1 and 2.

The supporting frame of the improvement, in its preferred form comprises a light, strong upright structure, shaped essentiallyasshown in the drawings, and consisting of two pairs of timber legs 10, each pair having its members crossed near their upper ends. The legs of a pair are notched in one side of each leg, of a depth equal to one half of the thickness of said legs, these notches or open recesses being level on their bottom surfaces, and cut at such an angle from the sides of the legs, as will cause the latter to diverge in pairs an equal degree, when detachably locked together at their recesses, as indicated in Fig. 5. The two pairs of legs 10, are held connected and suitably spaced apart, by the oppositely located cross bars 11, two of these pieces being provided of an equal length.

The cross bars 11, are removably secured to the legs 10, at a proper distance below the points where the members of the pairs of legs are interlocked together, by laterally'recessing the bars near their ends to a depth equal to one half of their thickness, and similarly notching the legs so that the bars may be interlocked therewith, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

When the parts of the frame are assembled as described, and placed in an erect position, the longer portions of the legs 10 that extend below the bars 11,-Willrbe sufficiently spaced apart to provide a stable base for the frame and the swing proper that is hung therefrom as will now be explained. f

There is a hangerrbar 12, attached to the cross bars 1l, at a central point between the pairs of legs 10, preferably by interlocking notches formed in the hanger bar,'and by screws or other removable appliances that will rmly retain the bar 12 in position, and yet allow it to be readily detached when the frame is to be taken to pieces. On the lower side of the hanger bar 12, a bracket plate 13. is screwed fast, from which depend two rotatably supported grooved pulleys 14, one near each end 0f the frame and having their grooved peripheries in the same plane and parallel with the sides of the hanger bar. At a central point on the bracket plate 13, a 'bracket frame comprising two parallel depending flanges 15, is secured thereto, these affording support for a cylindrical and peripherally -grooved-rocker 16, that is located between these flanges,and pivotally secured in placeby the transverse pintle bolt or rivet 17. There is a loop-shaped hanger rod 18, provided, which is composed of a metal bar bent at its longitudinal center in loop form, the curved portion being adapted to loosely tit upon the upper half of the rocker rim, which latter may be plain, or grooved as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4. The depending parallel membersof the hanger rod 18, are of about an equal length, so proportioned that their ends may be secured in or to a seat block 19, and maintain the latter at a proper distance from the floor or ground whereon the frame is erected. Preferably, the seat block 19, is fashioned to simulate the form of an animal, a horse being shown in the drawings, but it is not intended to restrict the shape of the block to that represented.

The looped portion of the hanger rod 18, is

secured to the rim of the rocker 16, by means of an eye-bolt or thumb-screw 20, said screw having threaded engagement with the rocker rim and passing through a perforation in the lient strap portion ofthe hanger rod, as clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and 4.

Itis essential for the convenient use of the swing, that the two members of the hanger rod 18 be sufficiently separated to admit the free entrance of the occupant of the swing between said members, and in case the seat block is made to simulate the form of a horse or other quadruped, the rod ends should be secured to the back of lthe imitation animal on a median line and at a proper distance from the head and tail, so as to allow the rider of the animal to be seated about mid-way thereon, and occupy a saddle if this is provided for the seat. In addition to the suspensory function of the hanger rod, 18, its members serve as front and rear guards which aid the riders-more especially children-in keeping their seat.

The disposition of parts will permit a free rocking or swinging movement to be communicated to the seat block 19, either by a person on the ground or by the occupant of the seat, and to enable a rider to actu-ate the swing, a cord 2l, is arranged in connection with the pulleys `14, as represented in Figs. 2 and 4, one end of the cord being attached to the head of the screw 20, and thence extended to pass from below around the outer side ot' the rim of the pulley that is above the rear end of the seat block or horse. The cord 21, is extended from the rear pulley to pass over the front pulley 14, and hang from the latter, the pendent portion being suihciently long to permit the rider to readily grasp its lower portion and pull it; draft strain intermittingly applied to the cord, causing a swinging movement of the seat block, the degree ot' oscillation being under the control of the person occupying the swing.

It is evident that if desired, the bracket plate 13, and attached parts may be hung from any horizontal stable timber or other support, such as the ceiling of a room in a residence, on a porch, or in a barn, and that the working parts will operate eiectively without the use of a frame.

The frame supplied for support ot the swing proper can be easily knocked down and compactly bundled for transportation or storage out of the way when not needed for use, and permits the erection of the swing at any point indoors, or in the open air, and aords a neat, shapely, convenient and perfectly safe swing for the use of children or adults, as a means of exercise or amusement, its portability adapting it for use on the lawn, at pic nics, and within a roofed inclosure during inclement weather.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a swing of the class indicated.the combination, with a supporting frame, and a seat for a rider, of the inverted, U-shape hanger whose members are attached to the seat in the front and rear, the pulley-like rocker journaled in the frame, a bolt securing said hanger to the upper side of the rocker, a cord connected with such bolt, and pulleys arranged in front and rear, over which the cord passes, as shown and described.

2. The improved separable swing-supporting frame composed of two pairs of inclined notched and interlocked legs, two parallel horizontal cross bars which are litted in the outer notches of said legs, and a swing hanger bar arranged at a right angle to the said crossbars and having dovetail notches which receive the latter and secure it to them, as shown 

